3,581 Shares in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Purchased by Nixon Capital LLC

Nixon Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 3,581 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,141,000. Air Products and Chemicals comprises about 0.4% of Nixon Capital LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,485,176 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $6,231,560,000 after purchasing an additional 207,404 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,931,661 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,430,354,000 after buying an additional 57,314 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth $919,721,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth $885,371,000. Finally, FMR LLC boosted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,315,245 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $671,514,000 after acquiring an additional 98,346 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $259.02 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $306.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $309.19. The firm has a market cap of $57.63 billion, a PE ratio of 15.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $227.53 and a 52-week high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.13 by ($0.27). Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.78% and a net margin of 31.88%. On average, research analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.76%. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is currently 41.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on APD shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $320.00 target price (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $355.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. StockNews.com lowered Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut Air Products and Chemicals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $340.88.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total transaction of $616,896.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,834 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,173,204. The trade was a 34.46 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total value of $181,706.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 719 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $221,811.50. This represents a 45.03 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Company Profile

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc provides atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, equipment, and related services in the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, India, and internationally. The company produces atmospheric gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, and argon; process gases, such as hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and syngas; and specialty gases for customers in various industries, including refining, chemical, manufacturing, electronics, energy production, medical, food, and metals.